Japanese illusionist Princess Tenko was seriously injured in a sword trick gone wrong on stage. She was supposed to escape a box pierced by ten swords, but instead was pinned inside. The swords broke her cheek and several ribs. However, she continued the show for 30 minutes before seeking medical help! Link -via Arbroath

Uhhh ... for the record, Elvis isn't actually royalty, either, no matter how many times he's referred to as "the King" ... Nor is Prince the heir apparent to any faraway land ... though if it makes you feel any better, I have it on good authority that Cap'n Crunch does indeed have a long and distinguished naval background.

And yeesh, she carried on with the show after that? I think if I'd been in the audience just -watching- I'd have needed immediate medical attention from the distress. What -does- one do to fix a "broken cheek," anyway?

I heard this story on the radio and (not being familiar with Japanese royalty) wondered what the hell a princess was doing up on stage in a magic act. Now I'm wondering exactly why this is international news. Maybe some news editors were under the same mistaken idea. Or maybe the world has an insatiable thirst for news of minor magician injuries. Let me know when David Copperfield breaks his toe--thanks.